Communication designers conceive, develop and realise the visual appearance of brands and companies, for example through advertising campaigns in print, film and digital media.

In the Communication Design focus of the Bachelor’s programme Brand Design you will develop the creative, technical and strategic know-how that creative people in the media and advertising industry need. This will not only enable you to meet current requirements, but also the challenges of tomorrow.

Develop your individual creative signature during your studies. Our professors and lecturers will work with you to develop the practical knowledge as designers as well as the personal skills that will be in demand in your future.

How does Brand University of Applied Sciences give you the decisive advantage for an exciting career in the creative industry? Expert knowledge on brand development and the latest findings from communication research complement the classic design training in graphic design.

Whether you are going to work in advertising agencies, large brand companies, film productions or as a freelance designer – our diverse practical projects prepare you optimally for the working world.

1st Semester

• Form & Composition
• Characters & Font
• Photography
• Brand Design Basics
• Brand Management Basics

2nd Semester

• Graphic design
• Digital Design
• Typography & Publishing
• Aesthetics & Perception
• Elective Module

3rd Semester

• Corporate Design
• Motion Design
• Generative Design
• Elective Module

4th Semester

• Transmedia Storytelling
• Audiovisual branding
• Packaging
• Elective Module

5th Semester

• Art Direction
• Design Thinking & Sustainability
• Interdisciplinary Practice Project
• Elective Module

6th Semester

• Practice Transfer Project
• Bachelor Thesis
• Colloquium

Elective Modules:

In the 2nd – 5th semester, electives are taken to develop the individual focus of study on communication design or digital design – the teaching languages are German and English.

•     Digital Branding & Social Media (DE, EN)
•     Illustration (DE)
•     Brand Language (DE)
•     Wearables and tangible media (DE, EN)
•     Prototyping and User Testing (DE, EN)
•     Brand Environments (DE)
•     Multisensory branding (DE, EN)
•     Creative Leadership (EN)
•     Open Innovation & Digital Thinking (EN)
•     Semiotics & Aesthetics (EN)
•     Communication management (DE, EN)
•     Media Science & Advertising Psychology (DE, EN)
•     Market and Trend Research & Neuromarketing (DE, EN)
•     Specialization in Photography (DE, EN)
•     Advanced Editorial Design (DE, EN)
•     Specialization in Generative Design and Creative Coding (DE, EN)
•     Specialisation in Film and Motion Design (DE, EN)
•     Free transfer projects (DE, EN)
•     Business English (EN)

Status: October 2018

After successfully completing the study focus communication design, many opportunities will open up to you as an expert in the creative industry.

As the person responsible for the image and communication of brands, you will be able to realise complex projects as part of integrated marketing.
As a graduate of Brand University of Applied Sciences who specialised in communication design, you will possess above-average design and brand aptitudes.

This will give you the best possible prospects of launching your career in the creative industry – whether as a junior designer, a junior concept developer or a freelance creative.

Success Stories

Marco Ivers

Brand Design B.A.

Brand University of Applied Sciences brings Design, Management and strong characters from both disciplines together. In my current role as Senior Designer with MUTABOR I have been profiting from such interdisciplinary training. It’s helpful in conceptualizing Design as something identity-oriented, in steering design processes efficiently and in finding answers to the challenging questions posed by digitalization.

Felix Fürtjes

Brand Design B.A.

People were extremely important to me during my studies – and they still are in my current job as Analyst with management consultancy Ayudantes. By “people” I specifically mean mentors who impress me and motivate me to learn from them. BU has some truly inspiring personalities who taught me a lot, not just with regards to knowledge and skills but also as a human being.

Jan Rosenstock

Brand Design B.A.

I love to think back to my time at Brand University of Applied Sciences. My studies in Brand Design did not only provide me with a profound understanding of design and brands, but also helped me find valuable contacts and friends, some of whom are now my coworkers. I am Art Director at Ben&Jan, an agency I founded with a fellow graduate. Our portfolio includes brand and visual design, social media strategy and design concepts for business premises. I also lecture in experimental poster design at Design Factory, work as an artist and am a member of the art and design collective Der6teLachs.

Course fees

As a leading state-recognised, privately owned university, Brand University of Applied Sciences is financed exclusively through course fees.

Course fees for students from Germany and the EU from October 2019:
685,- Euro per month,
890,- Euro one-off matriculation fee,
200,- Euro one-off examination fee.
Total costs: 25.750,- Euro

Course fees for students from countries outside the EU:
890,- Euro per month,
2.300,- Euro one-off matriculation fee,
200,- Euro one-off examination fee.
Total costs: 34.540,- Euro
Exceptions may be made for students who already have long-term residence permits for the EU.

Financing

We hope to enable every suitable candidate to study at Brand University of Applied Sciences, regardless of their financial situation.
For this reason we sponsor certain ‘Brand Talents’ with a scholarship from Semester 5 onwards. You can also obtain finance under the Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz (‘BAföG’ or German Federal Educational Assistance Act).
If you want to know anything about financing you should contact the Student Financing Advice Centre.

Students at Brand University of Applied Sciences can also obtain financial support from foundations and financial institutions in Hamburg and further afield. At a national level there is the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) which offers the ‘KfW-Studienkredit’.

Brand Talents ONE

We encourage talent for the future. Right from the start.

Talent shows itself through personal abilities and not through good grades or a good financial background. For this reason, we award partial scholarships in the field of brand design to outstanding applicants – passionate, creative personalities who are involved in an interdisciplinary and intercultural student body, who want to exchange ideas and grow beyond themselves! The scholarships are awarded for the start of studies in October and paid out over the entire course of studies.

The conditions

Qualification to enter a university (Abitur, Fachabitur or secondary school with 3 years of professional experience).
A special talent for design, proven by a creative design portfolio – without media restrictions, i.e. analog and/or digital drawings, films, photographs or painting are possible. In terms of content, at least one of the designs in the scholarship application should be related to a trademark (real or fictitious).

The application

The procedure corresponds to the regular application process at Brand University of Applied Sciences, see application form.

To apply for a scholarship, your letter of motivation must contain a special focus on your personal suitability for the scholarship. Letters of recommendation from a teacher, professor of your previous studies, employer or mentor are also welcome.

The application deadline for the Brand Talents ONE scholarships ends on August 15, and the winners will be announced on 1st September.

If you have any questions, please contact our student advisor Anna Prokhorenko, Fon +49 40 38089356-23 Mail anna.prokhorenko@brand-acad.de

The Jury

The applications of all interested parties will be evaluated by an independent jury. The jury consists of nationally and internationally renowned designers who are not members of Brand University of Applied Sciences.

The following documents must be submitted for admission:

• Completed application form
• Qualification to enter a university (Abitur or Fachabitur).
  With appropriate previous experience, applicants can also be admitted to studies in individual cases without a (Fach-)Abitur.
• Curriculum vitae and certificates
• Motivation letter
• Portfolio

You will find more information about the application documents and formal requirements on the application form.

If they assess your application documents positively, our applicant manager Anna Prokhorenko and our course director Prof. Ansgar Eidens will look forward to getting to know you in a personal interview and finding out more about your own particular career so far, your specific aptitudes, and your personal aims which you wish to pursue in connection with the course.

If your application interview is successful you will be admitted to study.